ABSTRACT Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects over 26 million Americans. Racial and ethnic disparities exist in the prevalence and incidence of CKD. For example, nationally representative data demonstrate that 19.4% of all African Americans have CKD stage 3 or above, and the most recent data on endstage renal disease (ESRD) indicate African Americans have the highest prevalence and incidence of ESRD in the United States. Unique social, cultural, and behavioral characteristics as well as novel biologic risk factors may contribute to the development and progression of CKD in African Americans, but these pathways have not been adequately defined. The goal of the current grant application is to develop a chronic kidney disease (CKD) working group to evaluate CKD and CKD risk factors among the Jackson Heart Study (JHS) cohorts, to assess risk factors for the progression of CKD and development of endstage renal disease (ESRD), and to determine the influence of CKD on development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. Although much is known regarding disparities in the incidence of ESRD, less is known regarding the contribution of differences in novel biologic, behavioral, and social/cultural risk factors to the development of CKD in African Americans. JHS will provide a NIH-funded cohort with which to study the association of CKD and CVD outcomes and death among a population of African Americans. The specific aims of the proposal are: Aim 1: Develop infrastructure for a highly-functioning diverse, national CKD working group for the Jackson Heart Study with expertise in health disparities, epidemiology, and biostatistics; Aim 2: Examine the association of novel and traditional risk factors for CKD, progression of CKD, and ESRD in the JHS cohort. Aim 3: Evaluate the relationship of CKD with traditional CVD risk factors, intermediate cardiac outcomes, incident CVD and death in the JHS cohort. This research will develop 1) the infrastructure for a successful productive CKD working group, 2) a research agenda that will elucidate determinants of development, progression and outcomes of CKD in the JHS and 3) a future workforce capable of conducting high quality research on the interrelationship of CKD and CVD, thereby improving the public health of African Americans.